 What kind of newspaper?  There are national daily papers (published in the morning), national evening papers, local morning and evening papers.  National papers are mostly printed in London and distributed from there.  National papers are either “quality” or “popular”.  In Britain people are encouraged to read a newspaper regularly because, for a small extra charge, it is delivered daily to their door.

 Popular papers are called “tabloids” because they are published in a small page format.  Some names: The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Star.  Tabloids are characterized by a minimum amount of political news and a maximum about sports. Many pictures, not so much text.

 The Times, founded in 1785, suspended publication in November 1978 because the workforce would not accept the management’s plans for modernization. Now being published again.  The Daily Telegraph, bought by the majority of middle-class readers; Conservative in outlook.  The Guardian, liberal and humanitarian in outlook; politically non-committed.  Financial Times reporting not restricted to money matters; covers the arts and politics: well informed.

 The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, The Observer.  All the quality papers depend a great deal on advertisements to finance them. They all bring information and comment about politics and business throughout the world. The specialize in reviewing new books, the London theatre, new films and music.  All Sunday papers also provide reading material about fashion, clothes, cooking, the house and home, monitoring and holidays.  The quality papers also include a magazine called “a colour supplement”.

 National papers are more popular with British readers than provincial papers are, yet many people still prefer a paper published in their own region.  Every town and country district has at least one newspaper of its own, devoted to local news.

 If the British still feel short of reading material, they can choose from 8,500 journals and magazines published weekly or monthly.  There is a periodical for all tastes and interests.

 The press in Britain is keen to guard its freedom to print whatever it wants to. However, it is restricted in 5 ways:  By the laws of libel: newspaper or periodical can be used in the law courts for damages (money) if it publishes a harmful untruth about someone;  By the Official Secret Act, a law which restricts the reporting of some military and government matters;

 By legal restrictions on reporting certain court proceedings or commenting on a trial in progress in case the publicity would be unfair to the persons on trial;  By the Press Council.  The Press Council is an official organization which was first set up in Its aim is to maintain high standards in the press. It hears complaints from the public about the behaviour of journalists and the stories newspapers sometimes print. The Council is intended to safeguard the privacy of the individual as well as the freedom of the press.

 Television seems to be the first choice among the various media in Britain.  People with a television set have to pay an annual government licence.  The BBC has to manage with the licence money plus profits from the sale of records, publications and programmes it sells abroad.  There is no advertising on the BBC.  ITV (independent television) gets its money from advertisers who pay to show films advertising their goods between programmes and during breaks in programmes: “commercial breaks”.

 People all over the world listen to the BBC World Service radio programmes of news, comment and talks. The habit started during World War II when the BBC gained a reputation for telling the truth.  Apart from the information it provides the World Service helps many people to improve their English.

 The time given to political parties for their broadcasts is strictly controlled throughout the year as well as at election times.  In 1978 an experiment began: twice a week, “Question Time” is broadcast from the House of Commons. Questions are put to the Prime Minister and to other ministers by Members of Parliament and the answers, too, are heard on television.